Daniel Cormier believes he will have his way with Stipe Miocic in their third encounter.
Cormier and Miocic will compete in a trilogy bout on Aug. 15. The heavyweight title bout will serve as the UFC 252 headliner. Miocic is the current champion, looking to send Cormier out of MMA competition with a loss.
Cormier Says He’s Prepared To ‘Smash’ Miocic To Settle The Score
During an edition of UFC Embedded, Cormier detailed his plan to dominate Miocic in their trilogy bout to become a two-time UFC heavyweight champion (h/t BJPenn.com).
“The last fight was a good fight. I started well and he made adjustments and got the victory. But, by no means do I look at that fight and think there are areas I can’t fix,” Daniel Cormier said on UFC Embedded. “I plan to use more of my wrestling, I’ve worked a lifetime to acquire these skills, and I kind of went away from that fight. Does that mean I am going to eliminate or avoid striking? No way. That was a very competitive fight.
“So, by no means can I not stand and fight Stipe Miocic for 25 minutes. The smarter way to get my hand raised is to use all my tools,” Cormier continued. “I expect a very tough, I expect Stipe to be in great shape. I expect him to believe that he is going to go out and win. The reality is I am going to smash him. I’m going to win this fight, I’m going to do my thing like I’ve done so many times and get my hand raised.”
Daniel Cormier plans to retire following his third bout with Miocic regardless of the outcome. “DC” and Miocic haven’t competed since their Aug. 2019 rematch. Miocic scored a TKO win over Cormier at UFC 241 to regain the heavyweight championship. Cormier won the first encounter via first-round knockout back in July 2018.
Much has been made about the smaller cage that will be used at UFC 252. The standard Octagon size is 30 feet but the one being used inside the UFC APEX is 25 feet. Many believe the smaller Octagon favors wrestlers.
We won’t have to wait long to see who gets their way. Stick with MMA News this weekend for all the UFC 252 coverage you will need.
